Why is it the person with the least significance called the "low man on the totem pole"?
First Nations tribes told their history through elaborate carvings of creatures on statues on tall totem Poles, but the idea that the bottom image was the least important was wrong. It originated with comedian Fred Allen, who in 1941, wrote, "If humourist H.Allen Smith were an Indian, he'd be the low man on the totem pole." Smith later used the phrase as a book title, and the expression caught on.
*"Now You Know More", Vol 2 - Doug Lennox © 2004
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